What Is Peat Moss And What Does It Do?

Sustainbility In The Garden

You might have seen that dark brown fibrous material called “Peat Moss” in your mom’s garden or at the garden center with the soils and garden soil amendments. But did you know that though Peat Moss is very useful as a gardening medium and is used frequently within potting soil mixes or as a hydroponic growing medium. In container mixtures, peat helps hold moisture in the pot that is prone to evaporating away before plants can uptake the water. Lots of gardeners, even those of us who use it often, don’t know thoroughly what peat moss is, where it comes from, and how to properly use it in the garden, and understand what this medium means to the sustainability of the eco-system’s growing medium.

Benefits of Peat Moss

• One of the best features of peat moss is its sterility. It doesn’t have any bacteria, fungus, harmful chemicals, and no weed seeds. This makes the material perfect for seedlings, which are quite vulnerable to the surrounding environment.
• Peat moss can absorb and retain water very well. This makes a great place for seed starting and as the mixes with other growing materials.
• Most of peat moss low in pH from 3.5 to 6 on average depending on the source of the peat moss is mined. It is very suitable for acid-craving plants such as strawberries, blueberries.
• Even though peat moss absorbs water well, it does not compact, unlike soil. The problem with compaction is that it makes it hard to create any space for the water and the air to pass through. By introducing peat moss to any compact material, the compaction problem is solved and makes the growing mix drain better.
• When mixed with other soil types, peat moss can help improve the overall structure, making it more suitable for plant root growth.
• Some gardeners favor soilless hydroponic gardening, for which peat moss is an excellent growing medium that plant roots can cling to.